About HumanRightsActionPlan.org.au

As part of Australia's Human Rights Framework, the Australian Government is developing a new National Human Rights Action Plan. This presents an opportunity to systematically consider Australia's strengths and address our shortcomings in human rights laws and practice. The Human Rights Law Centre has created this website to
provide NGOs with information about the National Action Plan process,
and generate ideas for submissions to the Government's formal consultation process.

Guest Blogs

On 10 December 2012, the Australian Government released the final version of its National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP). The NHRAP represents a key plank of Australia’s Human Rights Framework and is intended to ‘outline future action for the promotion and protection of rights in Australia’. However, some concerns remain about the NHRAP's effectiveness.

In December 2011, the Australian Government released its exposure draft for the development of a new National Human Rights Action Plan (the Action Plan). In releasing the exposure draft, the Government claimed the development of a human rights action plan:

“,,, will demonstrate Australia’s on-going commitment to our international human rights obligations. It will allow us to systematically consider our strengths and address our shortcomings in human rights observance. In doing so, it will improve both the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia.”

News

The final National Human Rights Action Plan was released on 10 December 2012. A number of commitments made by the Government in the exposure draft were removed from the final NHRAP. The Human Rights Law Centre contacted the Attorney-General’s Department to ask why they had been removed. We have now received the AG’s response, provided in the table below.

The Australian Government has released the final version of its National Human Rights Action Plan. Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon announced the release of the plan on International Human Rights Day.